I, Syed Ali Mohammed Faris – Sri lankan
citizen age 57 worked in ‘Khalifa Al-Saif Motors’ (Franchise Jaguar Land
Rover in Saudi Arabia) for last 17 years as stock controller. I was
terminated in Dec 2010 without one month notice period and service
benefits for 17 years worth about SR 40,000 ($10,666). I kept on
following up with management but Mr. Amer Sohail Rammay – National
Finance and Admin Manager was giving me false hopes and promises to wait
until chairman Mr. Khalifa Al-Saif got out of prison. Mr. Khalifa was
approving all financial transactions and salaries from prison but never
signed my cheque for service benefits. Mr. Khalifa Al-Saif was released
from jail few months back and I met him inorder to let my dues be
cleared and to give me release or exit visa to go back to my country but
he never listened to me and told me to contact Mr. Amer Sohail Rammay.
Both of them did not help me at all.
In Jan 2012, I reserved air ticket twice to
go back to Sri Lanka to attend the wedding of my eldest daughter but Mr.
Amer Sohail Rammay was giving me false promises and did not arrange my
exit re-entry visa. Finally, I could not attend my daughter’s wedding!
Two months ago, I faced an accident and my spinal cord got fractured. I
was advised for an urgent operation but did not have means for that.
Neither I have medical insurance from sponsor nor I have SR55,000 to pay
for this operation. Again, I requested Mr. Khalifa and Mr.Amer to help
me in getting medical treatment but they ignored as usual. I then
approached labour court but no one showed up from employer’s side in the
hearings. The court wrote to Al-Naseem police to present my employer in
court and even they failed to provide me justice. Some local guy from
my employer’s side approached me and threatened that Mr. Khalifa Al-Saif
would ship me back to Sril Lanka forcefully and I would be banned from
re-entering into Saudi Arabia for five years. Recently, labour court’s
representative informed me that I was late to file a case against my
employer so, in other words, he apologised. Surprisingly, the Saudi
labour court informed this after filing my case and writing to Al-Naseem
police… The law for a poor expatriate with no wasta (reference) changed
overnight! At present my status is; I with fractured spinal cord have
empty pockets, no income, no permanent shelter, no release from my
employer (Khalifa Al-Saif Motors), no final exit from my employer,
expired Saudi residence permit, no passport to travel as my passport is
withheld by my employer and no clearance of my service benefits by my
employer while my family in Sri Lanka has lost hopes to see me ever!!!
After all, what’s my mistake???
